Lewis and Clark University Admission
Lewis and Clark University Undergraduate Program
Lewis and Clark University Application

The Facts

Lewis and Clark College is a small liberal arts college located in the beautiful city of Portland, Oregon. Named for the pair of European explorers who discovered the area, the college is known primarily for its strong focus on international relations, which is the most popular program at the school. The school requires that all students fulfill requirements in both the areas of international affairs and foreign language, as it wants its students to be internationally aware members of society. In addition, they are all encouraged to spend time abroad, and in fact, by graduation, the majority of students at the school have gone abroad for at least one semester.

The college is quite small, housing only 1,741 undergraduates and about an equal amount of graduate students. Last year, about 3,405 students applied, 2,310 were admitted, and 493 actually enrolled. The students admitted had an average SAT score ranging from 1180 to 1380 and an average cumulative ACT score ranging from 26 to 30. Over 80% of the students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class. Although the applicant pool is significantly smaller than at most state schools, the applicant pool tends to be quite qualified, making admission quite competitive nonetheless.

Many students say that the workload can be quite heavy; however, they applaud the student to faculty ratio and the relationships that form between the professors and their students.

The Social Scene

The city of Portland definitely has plenty to do in the way of weekend entertainment; however, they are also close enough to natural landmarks such as Mt. Hood to take part in the multitude of outdoor opportunities. The 133-acre campus itself sits on top of Palatine Hill and offers spectacular views of the Wilamette River and Mount Hood. The facilities are excellent, and students say they are constantly being updated to stay up to national standards and beyond. Students are required to live on campus for at least two semesters, but after this initial period, most students chose to find their own off-campus housing, which is not terribly pricey.

There is no Greek life on campus, and students couldn’t be happier with that, as it keeps the dangerous partying to a minimum. Parties are usually held off campus and are relatively small and safe. In addition there are also over 100 student-run clubs and organizations that the majority of students choose to take part in. Drinking is not as popular as at other universities; however, students say that pretty much everyone at the college smokes pot quite frequently. Their sports team, The Pioneers, also competes in the NCAA Division III basketball tournaments, and has done quite well in recent years.

Expect to find both genders heavily dredlocked and mostly high.

What’s Good

“The classes are really small as a result of the school being so minute. Everyone really knows who you actually are.”

“People are really chill and don’t buy into all of the stuff other big state universities promote.”

“The nature is awesome and Portland is the best city on the planet in my opinion.”

What’s Bad

“The campus reeks of weed. Most kids show up high to class, and trust me, it hasn’t expanded their mind.”

“Everyone is really pretentious in that they believe their ideas are absolutely correct.”

“There isn’t really a sense of school spirit. The sports pretty much suck here.”

Let the Penn Group help you apply to college.

• View our services
• Send a request now
• Read articles about applying to college